Celebrity Scoop – 09/07/2018

Burt Reynolds has died at the age of 82. The actor suffered a heart attack Thursday in Florida. He was transported to a hospital after going into cardiac arrest. His family was by his side when he passed.

The 911 call, made just after noon, revealed a male caller telling emergency operators that Reynolds was experiencing trouble breathing and had chest pain. He was awake, but not answering questions. Reynolds had heart problems for years and underwent major heart surgery in 2010.

In the early part of his career, after starring in TV shows such as Gunsmoke and Dan August, Reynolds rose to fame in the ‘70s for his breakout role as Lewis Medlock in Deliverance. The actor, who had nearly 200 film and TV credits, also starred in multiple successful films including 1974’s The Longest Yard, 1977’s Smokey and the Bandit, 1996’s Striptease and 1997’s Boogie Nights. The latter of which earned him an Oscar nomination.

Most recently, he was cast alongside Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio in Quentin Tarantino‘s story of Charles Manson, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but according to a TMZ source, he had not shot his scenes yet. Reynolds’ movie, Defining Moments is set to be released in December of this year.

The Hollywood Icon was once married to Judy Carne from 1963 to 1965 and Loni Anderson from 1988 to 1993, they have an adult son Quinton Anderson Reynolds. He also famously dated Sally Field on and off for five years in the ‘70s and ’80s. And in a 2015 interview with Vanity Fair, he called her “The one who got away.”

CRANBERRIES SINGER’S CAUSE OF DEATH REVEALED – (09/07/2018)

Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan died by drowning as a result of alcohol intoxication, a “tragic accident” according to statements made during an inquest held on Thursday (September 6th) at Westminster Coroner’s Court in London.

According to BBC News, the 46-year-old vocalist had been drinking heavily before she was found dead in room 2005 of the Park Lane Hilton hotel in Park Lane, London in the morning of January 15th. She was found submerged face up in the bath by a maid the morning after she checked into the hotel, and declared dead after police and paramedics failed to revive her.

Police found empty bottles of alcohol in O’Riordan’s hotel room, including five miniature bottles and a bottle of champagne. There were also containers of prescription drugs with tablets in each, though a toxicology report showed that O’Riordan had only “therapeutic” amounts of medication in her blood. However, her blood alcohol levels were more than four times over the legal driving limit.

O’Riordan displayed no injuries or evidence of self-harm, although she had struggled for many years with bipolar disorder and excessive drinking.

The surviving members of the Cranberries released a statement saying, “On January 15th 2018 we lost our dear friend and band mate Dolores O’Riordan. Today we continue to struggle to come to terms with what happened. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Dolores’ children and her family and our thoughts are with them today. Dolores will live on eternally in her music. To see how much of a positive impact she had on people’s lives has been a source of great comfort to us. We’d like to say thank you to all of our fans for the outpouring of messages and their continued support during this very difficult time. We request, please, for our privacy to be respected at this time.”

The first list of presenters for the Primetime Emmy Awards has officially been revealed.

Among those who will announce the winners during the star-studded ceremony include Kate McKinnon and Tina Fey. There are several tie-ins with Saturday Night Live. The show’s creator and producer, Lorne Michaels is the executive producer of the big event. And Saturday Night Live’s –Weekend Update anchors Michael Che and Colin Jost will be hosting the show.

Kit Harington, Taraji P. Henson,Constance Wu, Tracy Morgan and Bob Odenkirk will also present during the live broadcast. The show takes place September 17 in Los Angeles and will air on NBC.

Less than a month ago, the Academy of Motion Pictures announced a new category for the Oscars called, Most Popular Movie. The announcement caused a lot of controversy among the entertainment industry. The Academy has now put that decision on hold.

In a prepared statement they wrote: “The Academy recognized that implementing any new award nine months into the year creates challenges for films that have already been released”

Actors have spoken out since the initial announcement, complaining that the category would be in direct competition with Best Picture category. The Oscars are set for February 24, 2019.

IMAGINE DRAGONS TEAMS UP WITH ‘ANGRY BIRDS’ – (09/07/2018)

Imagine Dragons is joining forces with the Angry Birds franchise to raise money for the Tyler Robinson Foundation, the band’s pediatric cancer charity.

If you download the Angry Birds Match mobile game, you can play a new, Imagine Dragons-inspired mode in which baby Angry Birds try to set up a concert in the band’s hometown of Las Vegas. While you play, you’ll hear the band’s new single “Natural” in background.

“The Tyler Robinson Foundation is a cause very close to our hearts,” Imagine Dragons says. “These kids and their families should never have to suffer financial despair when they’re already battling cancer together, and it’s an honor to help them out any way we can. We jumped at the chance to join with Angry Birds to bring more awareness and support to TRF and these kids.”

You can play the Imagine Dragons event now through September 25th. For more info, visit TRF.org.

Meanwhile, Imagine Dragons has spent the last week dropping cryptic teasers on social media, including a 15-minute video of silence. The teasers have to do with a special upcoming fan event held in Las Vegas, the full details of which will be announced shortly.

AVRIL LAVIGNE ANNOUNCES COMEBACK – (09/07/2018)

STATIONS: Please note the following story contains language that could be considered offensive to your audience.

Avril Lavigne is back. In a lengthy letter to fans posted on her website, the singer announces that after a five-year battle with Lyme Disease, she’ll release a new song, “Head Above Water,” on September 19th.

“Those were the worst years of my life as I went through both physical and emotional battles,” Avril writes. “I was able to turn that fight into music I’m really proud of…words and lyrics that were so true to my experience came pouring out of me effortlessly.”

She says that “by keeping my spirits up, having goals to reach and a purpose to live for, my music helped to heal me and keep me alive.”

Of “Head Above Water,”‘ she says, “It is…the first song I wrote from my bed, during one of the scariest moments of my life. I had accepted death and could feel my body shutting down. I felt like I was drowning. Like I was going under water and I just needed to come up for air.”

Avril also announced that her foundation will now provide Lyme prevention resources. Soon, she will launch an initiative to educate and help others fighting the disease.

“A single bug bite can f**k you up hard,” she says bluntly, adding, “I’m taking my life back into my own hands and doing what it is I know I am meant to be doing in this life time. Making music. And sharing my healing and hope, through my music.”

“I now have a very strong, triumphant, powerful and true record to me and my experiences over the last few years,” she writes. “I’m so excited to be returning with new music and to have you on this journey with me. Let’s do this!”